


Witches Hollow AU

by robingurl



Category: Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries (TV)
Genre: Gen, Season1, Witches Hollow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 00:14:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29480526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/robingurl/pseuds/robingurl
Summary: One of my many AUs where Joe is sick throughout the entire episode. This one is older but I'd like to rewrite it. Based off the episode: Witches Hollow.
Kudos: 5





	Witches Hollow AU

The van pulled up the drive to Callie's Uncle's house. Leaves blew around the orange van as Frank put the car into park. In the passenger seat was the youngest, Joe. He was leaning against the window half asleep, he looked almost drugged.

In a way he was, Frank had dosed him up with cough medicine before they even left Bayport. Frank knew the dose he'd given Joe was two or three times the normal amount but Joe got carsick easily as it was and with Joe being ill on top of being car sick - it just didn't add up so well in Frank's brain.

"Frank?" Came a soft whimper. The form it came from tried to sit up but was to sleepy to do so. He just weakly pulled the blanket tighter around his shivering body. He wanted to be at home. In his bed. Snuggled up to his brother. Not in this van, at a strange house, with Frank's date. If they were home, he'd be in his pajamas, in Frank's bed curled as close to Frank as was physically possible, but no, he was here freezing cold in the mountains- and Frank was to far away to be snuggled up to not to mention his brother had been driving as well.

"Shh, just relax. I'm going to go see where we're sleeping." Joe felt a squeeze on his shoulder and a hand stroke his hair. He relaxed on command and heard a soft, "That's it..."

*~*

"Oh FRANK!" Callie ran out from the back room and threw her arms around her boy friend's neck. She kissed him excitedly, "You did make it!"

"Of course I did." Then his smile changed to a frown.

"Frank, what is it?" Callie pulled away slightly and she felt his grip on her waist tighten as if he was afraid to let go.

"Where are we sleeping?" He finally responded. She noticed he kept glancing out the window at something, but what?

"We? We who?" Her pretty eyes narrowed. "Who did you bring with you, Frank? This was supposed to be our weekend away." As soon as she said that Chet Morton walked out from the back room eating a plate of food.

"Oh yeh, our weekend away? What's with Chet then?"

"Don't pull me into this, guys. I didn't do anything." The other teen exclaimed wide eyed.

"Frank, you brought Joe with you again didn't you?" At Frank's unchanging expression Callie let out a frustrated sigh. "Frank, he's 16, he can handle himself."

This time Frank's face darkened. "I'm not doing this now Callie, Joe is in no condition to be at the house alone."

"What do you mean no condition?" Irritation turned to worry as Callie's maternal instincts took over. "Frank, is Joe alright?"

"He's sick. He came down with some virus two days ago and it hasn't gotten better - only worse. He's drugged up on cold medicine right now, so not entirely coherent but I want to get him into a warm sleeping bag if nothing else. I know I screwed up but I'm not leaving my baby brother alone at home with the way he is now. You can hate me all you want but please don't take it out on him. He only knows two things, 1 that he's sick and 2 that he wants me."

"Couch."

"What?"

"You two are sleeping on the couches in the den." Callie grunted and turned back around grabbing Chet's collar. He stumbled backwards crying out as Callie yanked him back to the bed room in the back. "C'mon Chet!"

"Hey WAIT-A-MINUTE! I wanna finish eating!"

"You can eat after you fix my fireplace, I'm not freezing tonight."

*~*

He felt the door open and a strong arm caught him from falling out into a jumbled heap. "F..Frank..?" Joe's voice was a painfully hoarse and he began to cough, he reached out blindly for his brother as the chilly wind blew leaves around his frame. "Frank?!"

"Yeh, it's me. Calm down, I've got you." Joe felt Frank wrap his arms around Joe's waist at first to keep Joe up right and in the van. Then he heard his brother's voice again. "Wrap your arms around my neck, I'll carry you in." Joe obeyed and weakly he wrapped his arms around his brother's neck, burying his face in Frank's shoulder. The sweaty blonde hair tickled Frank's chin as he walked unsteadily towards the front door. His brother was light no doubt, maybe even a bit underweight, but a bit to old for this as well. Once inside Frank stumbled towards one of the couches and gently laid Joe down on it. He sat down on the edge of the tiny sofa and put a hand to his brother's forehead. Joe was still raging with fever.

Joe mumbled something incoherently and reached for his brother. Frank bent down nuzzled Joe carefully before unwrapping the feverish limbs from his own frame. He had to finish unpacking the van then he could snuggle Joe senseless. The blanket Joe had been wrapped up in was on the floor, Frank picked it up and nestled it around Joe's form. His brother would still be out for another hour at least, thanks to the drug induced sleep from the medicine.

Before he could make it outside, back into the chilly mountain weather - he heard Chet, "Aw man, poor Joe…he looks horrible."

"Don't wake him, Chet. It took me forever to get him to calm down." Then he walked outside. Going to the back of the van he saw the doors already open, Callie greeted him with her arms full of their luggage. "Callie?"

"Go to Joe, he needs you right now."

Frank stood there and studied her expression, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I may get exasperated but its really quite sweet how you care for him like you do." She replied uneasily.

"Thank you," Frank walked to her and kissed her on the cheek. "I'd give you one on the lips but I think I've been around Joe to long for that to be healthy. I'll take his sleeping bag so I can go ahead and get him warmed up."

"Chet should be starting the fire in there so Joe won't be to cold, I hope, for to long."

*~*

Frank didn't like the idea of a coffee table separating the two couches that he and Joe were sleeping on. It could be dangerous for either one of them, if Joe woke up in a fright he could trip over it, if Joe started crying out for Frank and Frank stood up he could topple over it.

He stared at the offending piece of furniture through the dim light of the fireplace before uncovering himself and standing up. Quietly he pushed the table out of the way and then knelt down beside Joe, checking his brother's fever again. He didn’t like how it hadn't gone down one bit since they'd gotten here. On the floor a few feet away was the not even half eaten plate of food Callie had made for Joe to eat. Joe had gotten two or three bites down then threw it all back up.

After seeing Joe was sleeping as peacefully as he could be, Frank went back to his own sleeping bag.

*~*

"F..Frank…." Frank sat up sleepily looking around. "Fr..Frank.."

The sob came again. Then his mind registered. It was Joe. "Joe, it's alright, shhh, I'm here." Frank untangled himself from his mess of sleeping bag and blankets and crawled over to Joe who was sitting up slightly.

Even in the dim light from the fire place, Frank could see the havoc the fever was doing to Joe. "Oh, Joe," He whispered reaching up and pulling his brother off the couch and into his lap. Joe let out a whimper and a moan of pain as his aching limbs landed on his brothers lap.

Frank wrapped his arms around his brother's frame, half rocking him. One of his hands reached up and felt Joe's forehead for a fever. "Shhh, I'm here, I'm here." In response Joe let out a weak sob clinging as tightly to his brother as possible.

Just when he'd gotten Joe calmed down and most likely asleep a scream was heard then an animal roar. Joe sat up in Frank's arms his feverish brown eyes glowing with fright. "F..Frank," He started hoarsely. "What was that?"

"I..I'm not sure." Frank stood up much to Joe's despair but then knelt down and pulled his sick brother to his feet. "Think you can stand for a minute?"

"Yeh…Frank was that Callie?"

"I'm not sure. That's what we're going to find out." Wrapping an arm around Joe's waist, Frank walked as fast as he could without tripping up his brother. "Callie?! Are you ok?"

"Frank? What was that?!" Callie exclaimed running out of the bedroom door. She was about to cling to Frank's side when she saw a very bed raggled Joe in her spot instead. "Joe, why are you out of bed?"

"I..I was worried. I heard the..the scream…"

Joe's innocence melted away her anger almost immediately. "Well it wasn't me, you need to get back into your bed." She sighed.


End file.
